Self-radiation effects and glassy nature of magnetic transition in AmO2 revealed by O 17 -NMR

Yo Tokunaga, Tsuyoshi Nishi, Masami Nakada, Akinori Itoh, Hironori Sakai, Shinsaku Kambe, Yoshiya Homma, Fuminori Honda, Dai Aoki, Russell E. Walstedt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The magnetic phase transition near T0=8.5 K in americium dioxide (AmO2) has been investigated microscopically by means of O17 NMR. To avoid complexities arising from sample aging associated with the α decay of Am243, all measurements have been performed within 40 days after sample synthesis. Even during such a short period, however, a rapid change of NMR line shape has been observed at 1.5 K, suggesting that the ground state of AmO2 is very sensitive to disorder. We have also confirmed the loss of O17 NMR signal intensity over a wide temperature range below T0, and more than half of oxygen nuclei are undetectable at 1.5 K. This behavior reveals the persistence of slow and distributed spin fluctuations down to temperatures well below T0. In the paramagnetic state, strong NMR line broadening and spatially inhomogeneous spin fluctuations have been observed. The results are all indicative of short-range, spin-glass-like character for the magnetic transition in this system.

Original languageEnglish
Article number214416
JournalPhysical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume89
Issue number21
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014 Jun 19

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